Ashylyn Hillyard and Alex Maier in action at Marcus I
Ashlyn Hillyardand Alex Maier have much more in common than the first letter in their first
name. It goes beyond them both being juniors and running cross country. They are both #1 in
Texas in the 5K and they both sit at #4 in the nation!
Ashlyn from Plano High is quiet and humble when talking to her about her cross country
success. But she is making a pretty loud statement on the course. "It definitely feels amazing
knowing that my hard work is paying off. A year ago, I would have never thought I could win
Marcus 1." Ashlyn dropped 20 seconds off her PR this weekend at Marcus 1 coming in at 17:20.
She credits smart training, "I learned how to train smart. By smart I mean, taking my easy days,
easy and my hard days, hard. I used to think that all my runs had to be hard, but my coach
always reminds me that, "you can't overwater a plant or it'll wither away".
Ashlyn was always near the top last year but didn't get the attention like some of the other elite
runners. She ran under the radar for much of the year. With her recent times, that might not
be so easy this season. "To be honest, I kind of like being under the radar. I want people to
know who I am, but I don't necessarily want to be in the spotlight.
Alex Maier from Flower Mound High is getting used to the spotlight. Last year his was the
super sophomore and with Marcus 1 being his first meet of this season, Alex is showing no signs
of slowing down. He came in at 15:01. Alex knows this year he is running with a target on his
back. "It's different this year. Coming from an underclassman to an upperclassman you gain a
sense of confidence and experience."
Last year, Alex felt he was comparing himself to the upperclassman and their times. This year
he knows he needs to shift gears. "I really got to push myself and be self-driven…more than just
trying to catch the other guys. I have to fight from within."
Another thing these two highly motivated A's (Ashlyn and Alex) have in common…their goals.
Both have their eyes set on being at the top of the podium in November at the state meet.
Ashlyn and Alex also hope to be packing their bags for a run at Nationals. These are two Texas
runners definitely worth keeping an eye on this season.
